All human beings have an innate need to hear and tell stories and to have a stories to live by... Harvey Cox

More often than not, we get the inspiration to pursue our dreams from the most unexpected places. We are all endowed with different sets of natural skills and abilities which; sometimes without our knowing so, are closely linked with our passions/dreams.

When I knew him my grandfather was a tall, kindly old gentleman with white hair, and he never had a bad word for anybody. He had been a salesman for his entire adult life, and he worked at the same paper manufacturing company for 50 years. He always had a smile and a joke, and he could put anyone at ease.

Many thank a certain life change for putting them on the right path but fitness really did change my life. My story began soon after I finished school. Since I had the time I decided to start living a healthier life. I was always thin but my diet was terrible and I never exercised.

This article has 13 very short stories that will give you a reason to celebrate life. It was forwarded and then forwarded via email from an Anonymous writer. It is worth a permanent page in storiestoliveby.com for everyone to share and be inspired.

My 10-year old Theresa and I were grocery shopping on Saturday noontime. As usual it was busy, everyone was in a rush, and people’s faces were stressed and some looked hungry. The checkout lady was no different and she was tired. After she bagged our items, and I paid. I’m ready to rush out, then all of a sudden:

It dawned on me that I was not educated very well on how to deal with money when I was young. I can’t remember from elementary to high school that I was taught about money. In college I was a computer science major and I took some basic accounting where I learned about credit and debit. That's about it.

Growing up my dad always told me, "For whatever you do, the end must justify the means." I believe he was the most honest and hardworking government lawyer/prosecutor in the city where we live in the Philippines. He dreamed of traveling to Rome but never ever taken an airplane flight in his entire life.

The basic rule of budgeting came from Thomas Jefferson that never spend your money before you have it. When America was young he may have thought that the concept is simple but in today’s day and age when instant gratification is the norm in the society, he would have said “AH...